The Unbalanced Rebellion of “The Last Jedi” Fails to Ascend

There’s an underlying kernel of irony at the center of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The film is the freshest film in the Star Wars franchise since George Lucas decided to add to the original trilogy. For all its flaws, it pushes the boundaries of the universe in many different directions, intent on being something … Read more

“Murder on the Orient Express” is a Weak and Rote Dumbing-Down of the Whodunit

Based on the Agatha Christie mystery novel of the same name, Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express disappoints by relegating the key elements of the mystery genre to mere mundane repetition.  All of the hard-boiled fun of Christie’s source material ends up feeling like a bland paint-by-numbers.   The movie contains a star-studded cast, with … Read more

This Things I Believe In “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Trailer (Please Hold Me)

Today the benevolent overlords at Disney™ released the first trailer for Star Wars:  The Last Jedi and I feel it is critical that I describe the things that I saw in that trailer.  This is so other people that saw things in the trailer can read about the things that I saw and decide if … Read more

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – Not Mad, Just Disappointed

You can’t really call Star Wars Episode VII– The Force Awakens a bad film with a straight face. The script is entirely serviceable with few logical inconsistencies or plot holes. Almost every character is well-established (Captain Phasma notwithstanding), and the performances are certainly on par with the original trilogy (especially with regards to the leads). Thematically, this is nothing that surprises us: it is the Light side vs. the Dark side, an allegorical simplification of the struggle between good and evil. But, from the get-go, there is a haunting echo: this doesn’t merely remind of the original trilogy, it outright pilfers its structure in hopes of re-capturing its magic.  As plotpoint after familiar plotpoint falls into place, it becomes clear that this new trilogy is just calculated nostalgia.

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